Immunosuppressants and air travel

[AgB621]

So I'm going to be flying to California on Sunday and airplanes are a terrific way to pick up a bug. And being on Imuran makes that oh so much easier! Does anyone have any recommendations for how to prevent getting sick, or is that even a concern (or possible)? I take 50mg.

 

[Agent X20]

I have that worry about Imuran too. Never thought about travelling on a plane and the enclosed nature of the air in there. I tend to travel less on public transport and do stuff like washing my hands more... not touching my face with my hands, after touching door handles... and being generally aware. You've still got to have a quality of life... so I don't want to end up with Howard Hughes type paranoia, but there are simple things you can do

I only travel by air when I'm going on holiday, so I think the benefits of the holiday outweigh any potential risk

 

[Jeff D.]

Bring some lysol wipes and some hand sanitizer and you should be fine. Have a good trip.

 

[Agent X20]

Glad you mentioned the hand sanitiser, Jeff. My wife just got me some for when I go back to work. Do you think anyone will be offended if I use it right after shaking hands with them... heh! heh!

 

[AgB621]

You'd be like Monk! (I'm not the only one who watches that show, right? I've actually found it interesting to see the mix of responses he gets when he uses his hand-wipes after shaking hands...the writers did a good job of that I think.)

Yeah I keep hand sanitizer in my purse, and I use it like crazy, even though I know that excessive use of anti-bacterial agents leads to more powerful bacteria...but I guess I'll have to leave it to people not on immunosuppressants to make good choices about that! I am careful about the hand-washing but, especially with planes, you have to worry about airborne viruses too. Which is why I'll probably load up on Airborne beforehand too, if my stomach can take it. It hurts like hell.

 

[AgB621]

Thanks Pen, I thought of a surgical mask but I would stand out way too much to be comfortable. Besides, I would find it too claustrophobic.

I hope my stomach feels better in the next couple of days. I don't know if it's the Imuran or just the stress but my intestines feel like I'm trying to digest razor blades and it's been feeling like this pretty constantly since Monday. My GI doc basically said "stick it out" so I don't know what to do. I'm curled up with a heating pad but it's only offering minimal relief. I don't know what to do

 

[ggraeff]

I won't tell you that you shouldn't be careful, because Imuran is a nasty drug. I've been on 250 mg for the last four months, and prior to that, 200 mg for three years. I'm also on 9Mg of Entocort, which has it's own issues. But I will tell you that for me, anyway, I never get sick, and for the last year, I was doing a fair amount of travel, including a trip to Mexico at the end of last year. I'm also around a four year old that brings home all the good stuff from pre-school, like coughs and sniffles.

I'm probably not the typical Imuran user, and overall, I've always been one to resist getting sick, despite that fact that I have Crohn's, but I wanted to share this with you because I don't think you need to go overboard... like Agent said, no need for the Howard Hughes Syndrome!

Gary

 

[Agent X20]

From the news reports we've had in the UK, following the Swine flu in Mexico, the perceived wisdom is that face masks are ineffective when you're out and about in the wide world. If you're in a hospital, you put it on, do your job and throw it away... it works, but when you wear it for too long, it gets warm and damp and bacteria just love that sort of environment... so better off without one

 

[AgB621]

I rarely get sick myself so maybe I'll be okay. In the past 17 years I've had one stomach virus, and I've only had a handful of colds and sniffles in the past few years. The way I see it, my average white cell count is 13 so if that gets lowered to a normal level then I probably won't get sick any more than the average person. Let's hope.